Growing Up Gaddy Nine Months

Gaddy is now nine months and weighs in at about sixty five pounds. She now understands all of her commands inside and out and most of the time she follows them with out fail. But every now and then she thinks she knows better and chooses to do something else, thank goodness for her electronic training collar. She don’t need it often but when she does she gets it and she understands what she needs to do and who’s in charge. Just like last week when we were in North Dakota when we and her spotted a six point buck about 400 yards away and she decided to take off to check it out. She didn’t bother to come back on my first call so I decided she needed a little encouragement. After two hits from the collar, she decided it was better to come back. This is the only time I need to use it during this trip.

While traveling to and from North Dakota last week, Gaddy traveled very well in the truck and didn’t have any issues when we stopped to get gas. We let her out for a stretch and do her business every time we stopped and I made sure she was feed and watered as close to her normal times as possible.

Gaddys First North Dakota Hunt

Everything we trained for, all came together for her, like staying in her blind, not breaking and going after the birds until I released her and best of all she now really understand s what birds really are for, “retrieving”. It was a joy watching her these past few weeks, before North Dakota she barely noticed birds around her, but now after having a few shot in front of her there isn’t one she doesn’t see, its awesome to watch her to become a hunting dog right in front of us.

Gaddys First Fish Point Hunt

When we returned home I took her out to Fish Point State Game Area getting her used to different hunting situations. She really enjoyed the walk into our blind and me throwing all them decoys out, which is totally different than us setting them out in the fields of North Dakota. The only thing she will have to to understand is when she hears gun shots from one of the areas near us she doesn’t need to get all excited. Up until now the only shots she’s heard is ours so this may take a few times for her to get used to gun shots being so close. Eventually she will learn the only time to get excited is when we shoot.

Gaddy waiting for the Birds

Gaddy seems to really have fun while she is hunting, but she will have to relax a little bit, this should come with age and experience.